Under the Mask
by HersheyChocolate67
Summary: Anna Marion is a 23 year old Let's Player. Her life dream is to meet her favorite LPer, Cryaotic. As she grows in popularity, she takes the chance and starts talking to Cry. They grow closer and eventually meet each other in person. Anna soon runs into problems, losing almost everything. Cry offers to take her in until she can regain herself, but when she moves in with him, things
1. Prologue

_~Anna~_

I closed my laptop, breathing a sigh of relief. I had just finished recording more of _Amnesia: The Dark Descent._

I'm a fairly new Let's Player on YouTube. I picked up Let's Playing a week ago after finally getting the software and games I've needed. I've been a big fan of Cryaotic and PewDiePie for a couple years now. I've dreamed of playing with them and eventually meeting them, Cry the most.

I spin around in my black, padded desk chair, sliding off and walking to my dresser. I live in a small apartment by myself, nothing fancy. I pull out the furnished, oak wood drawer, retrieving an oversized, gray t-shirt and a pair of blue pajama bottoms. I change out of my day clothes, throwing them in the white hamper sitting next to my door.

I glance at the clock resting on top of the nightstand, the bright red numbers casting a glow across the wall. It read 2:45am. I sigh softly to myself as I crawl into my full-sized bed, curling up beneath the silver, leopard print covers. My eyelids fall slowly as the sleep I was fighting off took over, throwing me into the world of dreams.


	2. Chapter 1

_~Anna~_

_The bright, blue, cloudless sky reflected in the deep blue ocean water. The soft breeze sent occasional ripples through the water, breaking the still image. I stared quietly, thinking about what I was going to record that night._

_The sounds of laughter rose up in the distance as children ran around on the sandy shore just a couple of feet away from me. I was content with resting against the damp, wooden bridge that combined the beach and the parking lot. People passed by without a word, either leaving or arriving at the beach._

_The sun was starting to set on the horizon, giving the water a beautiful purple color. I turned to leave, walking to my silver Mazda3. I sat in the driver's seat, watching the sunset while others left for home._

_I eventually started my car, switching on the headlights as I put the car into reverse. I arrived home in no time, seeing as my house wasn't too far from the beach. When I got inside, I went straight for my laptop, grabbing my headset from my dresser. I plugged in the jack, turning on the laptop and watched it boot up._

_I clicked the recording software icon, opening up Amnesia with it. I started the recording, continuing the game where I had left off last time. It was about an hour and a half later when I stopped the recording, closing the game and pulling up YouTube. I proceeded to start editing my recording when my Skype notification rang out. I jumped, startled, and looked at my phone._

_My iPhone screen was glowing brightly, letting me know that I had a notification. I looked at it, seeing that it said I had a friend request on Skype. I opened the app, continuing to edit my recording as I waited for the app to load. When it loaded, I went to my recent conversations, my heart skipping a beat as I saw the name._

_Cryaotic._


	3. Chapter 2

_~Anna~_

I opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling. My dream slowly came back to me as my brain gradually woke itself up. I sat up, my eyes instantly sweeping to the open laptop on my desk.

I tossed the covers off, swinging my legs over the bed. I reached for my mint green robe, tying it on myself and flipping up the hood, which had two cat ears attached. Trotting over to the wooden desk, I opened my laptop and press the black ON button, powering it up. I left my bedroom, padding into the kitchen. I opened the fridge, pulling out a Monster can and popping it open. I walked back into my bedroom, sitting down in my desk chair.

I opened Chrome, typing the URL for YouTube into the address bar. I tapped enter, waiting for the page to load. I watched a couple of Cry's videos, the memory of the dream still floating in my mind. I decided to send him a message, so I clicked on my inbox, typing his username into the respective box.

My fingers flew fluidly over the keyboard as I typed out my message. My eyes scanned the words as I typed, looking for any missed spelling or grammatical errors. When I'm satisfied with the message, I clicked send, standing up from my desk.

I changed out of my robe and pajamas, switching into some sweatpants and a running shirt. It was around 7am, so I haven't missed my running time quite yet. I pulled a pair of white ankle socks out of my top drawer, walking into the front room.

Slipping on the socks, I grabbed the MP3 and headphones from the table next to my door, sliding on my shoes in the process. I opened the door, stepping out into the barely humid air. I loved the spring, the temperature was just right and the day was always beautiful.

I pressed PLAY on my MP3, sticking the ear buds in and jogging down my pathway, taking a right at the sidewalk. I started out with a light jog, getting myself warmed up. The music drowned out most of the outside sounds and pushed the thoughts of my dream and the message away.

Halfway through my route, I switched gears, changing my jog to a run. I was back at my house within minutes when my stomach growled. I chuckled to myself, walking in and closing the door behind me. I slipped off my shoes and returned my MP3 to the basket, walking into the kitchen.

I pulled out a small, stainless steel pan, setting it on the front left stove top. I switched the stove on, setting the heat to medium. While the pan warmed up, I grabbed a few ingredients out of the fridge: butter, milk, cheese, and eggs. I also got out the salt and pepper shakers from my spice cabinet. After putting a small spoonful of butter into the pan, I retrieved a glass bowl from the cabinets. I started cracking eggs and adding the necessary ingredients, mixing them together when I finished. I poured the mixture into the pan, hearing the familiar sizzle of cooking eggs. I grabbed my spatula from the drawer close to my stove, scraping what was cooked from the bottom of the pan.

Soon, I had the cheese melting into the eggs. I let it sit, pulling down a paper plate and grabbing a fork. I scooped the eggs onto my plate, placing the pan and spatula into the sink as I left the kitchen, heading back up to my room.

My clock glowed at me, reading 9:35am. I sat down at my desk, checking my YouTube channel for any subscribers or comments. There was nothing but the occasional compliment on a video of mine. I clicked my inbox tab, my hopes slightly rising as the page loaded. My heart fell slightly as I saw my inbox was empty. I then realized that it was Saturday, which meant he'll be recording and uploading his livestream video around 6pm - 7pm.

I smiled as I finished the last of my eggs, heading over to my bed to lay down. I grabbed my TV remote from my nightstand, turning on the TV. I flipped through the channels, eventually settling for Bones and closing my eyes. I decided to take a nap so I could stay up all night to watch Cry's live stream.

* * *

_Hello, Cry._

_My name's Anna. I've been a fan of yours for a couple years now. It's been my dream to meet you in person, or to even talk to you and play with you. I know you're busy with life and recording for your fans and everything, so you don't really need to respond if you can't. I just wanted to say hi, hopefully have a conversation with you one day._

_Keep doing what you do, Cry. You make a lot of lives better by just being you._

_Anna_


	4. Chapter 3

_~Anna~_

I woke up to the sound of my email notification. I groaned slightly, throwing my arm across my eyes. I reached for my phone, clicking it on and glancing at the screen from under my arm.

The email was from YouTube, telling me that Cry uploaded a new video. Opening the app on my phone, I glanced over at my clock. 6:30pm. I realized I slept through lunch and dinner, just as my stomach growls. I got up, taking my phone with me. I trotted into the kitchen, clicking Cry's name on my phone.

I grabbed the peanut butter and jelly, setting it on the table as I loaded Cry's livestream announcement video. It started playing just as I sat down with two slices of bread and a knife.

The video mainly told the viewers what games he was playing that night with his friends. Turned out that he was playing Left 4 Dead 2, Attack on Titan, and Dungeons and Dragons.

I started eating the sandwich I put together as I walked to my room. I turned on my laptop, opening Amnesia. I got my headset again, continuing the story. I found out that I was almost done with the main story. I finished my recording, editing it and uploading it to YouTube. I clicked on my inbox, waiting for the page to load.

I finished my sandwich, almost choking as I noticed Cry's name in my inbox. I squealed quietly, opening the message. My eyes scanned over the words on the screen as my smile got bigger.

_Hi, Anna._

_Looks like part of your dream came true, didn't it? It's nice to see that there's someone out there who isn't begging me to show my face to them or to reveal who I am. You're one of the few who isn't like that. I suppose you saw the live stream video since you're as big of a fan as you claim to be, huh? Well, I have a preposition for you. You seem like a nice girl, Anna. So how about you join the others and I as a special guest on tonight's live stream? Maybe, if all goes well tonight, this could carry on into the future._

_Cry_

I squealed in delight as I typed back a quick acceptance message, bouncing softly in my seat as I waited for an answer. I refreshed the page after a few minutes, seeing another message from him. I opened it, then typed back a quick message. I ran to my kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing a couple Monster cans and some snacks that would last me until the first break. I jogged back to my room just as my phone screen turned off. I clicked the home button, seeing the Skype notification. I opened the app, waiting. The friend request shone brightly as I clicked 'accept'.

I smiled to myself as I watched TV for the next couple of hours, thinking about how much fun the livestream would be.


	5. Chapter 4

_~Anna~_

I glanced over at my clock, the time reading 9:15 pm. I realized that I needed to get the games that I'd be playing tonight, as I still haven't gotten them. I hopped off of my bed, skipping over to my laptop and opening it up. The first game I looked up was _Attack on Titan. _I scrolled through the first page of Google, finding the only link to a game being the tribute game. I clicked the link, watching the page unfold on my screen. A box popped up, alerting me that Unity Web Player was needed to play the game. I moved the wolf paw cursor over the box that said OK, downloading the software. It took forever to install, so I walked to the main room, standing in the middle of the beige-colored room.

I heard a scratching coming from my front door. Confused, I trotted over, opening it and peeking my head out. The sky was a midnight blue, the stars barely visible with the streetlights shining so brightly. The moon was close to being full with the full moon day being a couple days away. I looked around, trying to find the source of the noise, but the town was quiet, except for the occasional train horn.

I shut the door, walking back upstairs. The installation for UWP shone complete. I smiled slightly, closing the window and saving the AOT game page to my favorites. I checked to make sure I was able to play the other two games and then favorited those pages, too. I checked the time, my phone glowing softly in the darkened room. 9:45pm.

I headed down to the kitchen, my stomach rumbling softly. I opened the fridge, pulling out a hamburger party and some spices from the cabinet. I grabbed a skillet, turning on the stove and setting the steel pan on the heater. I cooked my food, heading back to my room after grabbing some chips and more Monster cans. It was around 10:30pm by the time I cleaned up the kitchen and grabbed some more snacks to tide me over during the livestream.

As it neared 10:45pm, my Skype notification goes off, causing me to jump from my spot on the bed. I reached for my phone, opening the app. A smile spread across my face as I saw it was from Cry. I clicked on his name, my eyes scanning over the black text.

It was time.

* * *

_Hello, Anna!_

_Are you ready for the livestream? My friends are ready to meet you. I'll be sending you a Skype call soon._

_Cry_


	6. Chapter 5

_~Anna~_

I opened the Skype application on my laptop, my heart pounding in my chest. A couple minutes go by as I patiently waited for the notification. My screen goes black, causing a mini panic attack in my mind until it lights up with the call screen. Cry's picture looked back at me as I reached for the mouse, accepting the call. I was greeted with a series of hellos before Cry spoke.

"Hello, Anna. Glad you joined us tonight. Are you ready for a night of excitement?" Cry's voice resonated through the speakers as I plugged in my headset, a smile spreading across my face.

"Ready when you are." I said, cracking open my first can of Monster. I heard silence on the other end as I took a drink. "Hello?"

"What was that?" Russ asked curiously. I swallowed the liquid I had in my mouth, a warm feeling flooding my senses.

"A Monster." I replied, blinking at the screen. I knew they couldn't see me since I didn't have my webcam on, but I imagined the confused looks on their faces. "It's to help me stay up. Caffeine, you know?"

It was silent for a moment before Snake spoke up. "I think we've kept them waiting long enough."

The others mumbled their agreements. I kept quiet, staring at the screen. Cry started the livestream as the group got a casual conversation going. I had Twitch up already, so I watched the number of people who have joined multiply very rapidly. The chat flooded with comments from a variety of fans.

Cry eventually stopped their conversation, saying his typical hello to the watchers. The others followed suit as I continued to stay quiet. The watchers didn't know about me being there.

"Tonight is a special stream for both you guys and Cry." Russ said jokingly. Cry protested in response as I realized I didn't want my name getting out. I typed a hurried IM to the group on Skype, telling them to call me Shaze instead of my real name. Cry had continued on to introduce me.

"I have invited on one my fans to join the livestream tonight. I'd like you guys to meet Shaze!" Cry exclaimed, a bit of excitement in his voice. The comments in the chat flew by faster, but I caught glimpses of some that asked if Cry and I had 'a thing'. I felt my face heat up and I muttered out a quick hello. The group continued the stream, eventually starting up the first game. I hesitantly followed suit, knowing I wouldn't do very well in my distracted state.

About an hour or so into the stream, Cry announced he needed a break. Russ and Snake both agreed and Cry set up the break screen. The boys all left their rooms to do something, leaving Red and I alone in the call.

"So, tell me about yourself." Red said, breaking the silence.

"Hm? Well, I'm 23, I live by myself, I graduated high school..." I told her what she wanted to know, giving her my address when she asked for it.

"One more question." Red chirped, a smile on her voice. "How'd you find Cry?"

"Well..." I dove into the story of how I had always watched videos on YouTube through high school and during my freshman year, I had found his channel and I kept up with all of his videos. I told her about how I always watch one of Cry's videos when I'm sad and how they make me laugh when I can't laugh anymore. I trailed off and Red laughed softly.

"Sounds like you have feelings for him." She teased. My face grew hot and I went to reply when a voice came over the call.

"Who does she have feelings for?" Cry spoke up as the other two came back.

"N-No one! Red's just being mean!" I replied quickly, my heart racing in my chest. I don't have 'feelings' for anyone.

"Well okay." Cry answered, a tone of curiosity weaved in his voice. They unpaused the stream and I decided to sit back during the rest of this game. I skipped through most of AOT, occasionally commenting but staying quiet the majority of the time. The group decided to go on another break, so I left the room, heading down the hall to my small bathroom.

As I came back into the room, I heard voices coming through my headset, though they were muffled. I carefly put my headset on as to keep from alerting them that I was back.

"-on't know. There's something different about her. She's not like everyone else." Cry was saying. My face scrunched up in wonder as I sat back in my chair.

"Well, it sounds like you made her extremely happy by doing this." Red chimed, a smirk audible in her tone.

"I hope so." Cry stated, going quiet. I looked at the chat on Twitch, reading the comments people were making. I glanced at one that mentioned something about a shipping. I scrolled back up, my eyes widening.

_"I totally ship Cry and Shaze. Crayze for life!"_

My heart started racing again. I instantly started wondering if the others had seen it. The chat suddenly exploded with comments about Crayze, and I watched as a new fandom was born. I coughed awkwardly, alerting the others that I was there.

"Oh! Welcome back, Shaze." Russ spoke, his voice light. They had waited for me to come back before starting the last part of the stream.

"Thank you." I answered softly, feeling like something was off.

"What in the world is the chat going crazy about?" Snake commented, cutting through the awkward tension. My heart raced faster, if that was even possible.

"Crayze?" Cry said suddenly, coughing a bit. Nothing would come out of my mouth. "What is this?"

"Aw, look. They've created a ship for you and Anna." Russ teased, receiving a laugh from Red.

"Why would they do that? I don't feel anything for her." Cry said without thinking. I squeaked, a sharp pain going through my chest.

"What was that?" Russ asked. The others said they didn't know and that it wasn't them. Tears started to well up in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

"Anna?" Cry said, waiting for an answer. When I didn't give him one, the worry became evident in his tone. "Anna, are you okay?"

"I-I have to go." I squeaked out, my voice breaking.

"Anna, what's wrong?" Red asked, a shuffling noise coming through the headset.

"N-Nothing! I just.. I don't f-feel good, is all.." I lied. I knew they weren't going to believe it but I had to get out of there. "G-Goodnight, guys."

"Anna, wai-" I clicked the 'end call' button, Cry's voice being cut off. His words echoed in my head as I shut my laptop, crawling into my bed. I couldn't sleep, so I laid there, my unfinished Monsters sitting on my desk. I knew my front door was unlocked, but I could've cared less at that point.

My heart was in pieces, and it had no reason to be.


	7. Chapter 6

_~Anna~_

I laid in my bed, dry streaks pasted onto my face from the endless crying I had done. It seemed like hours had gone by since I left the stream. I stared up at the ceiling, the darkness seeming to close in on me. There was a distant knocking sound, like someone was at my door, but I couldn't find the strength to move. I rolled over, facing away from my bedroom door as I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of beeping, groaning as I turned towards my phone. It was glowing faintly on the desk where I had left it the night before. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and getting out of bed.

I picked up my phone, yawning before I looked at the screen. It shined a sky blue with Cry's picture in the middle. My heart skipped a beat before I remembered the stream. I frowned subtly, pressing the red button and setting my phone back down.

I padded down the stairs, walking into the kitchen and searching through the cupboards. I settled with a bowl of Cocoa Puffs and plopped down on the couch, turning on the TV. I flipped through the channels, eating my cereal in the process.

About an hour later, I heard my phone go off from upstairs. I glared at the staircase, ignoring the ringing. I wasn't in the mood to deal with that right now.

I got up after a while, placing my bowl in the sink and opening the front door. I checked my mailbox, pulling out some envelopes. Most of them were trash, but one caught my attention.

I slowly opened the envelope, pulling out the neatly folded paper. I unfolded the letter, my heart sinking with every word.

_"Dear Miss Anna Marion,_

_We have written to inform you that your house payment is overdue. If not paid by the below date, you will be forced to leave your home. We are sorry to tell you this. Please pay the below balance by the date. Call us if you have any questions. Thank you."_

I fell to the couch, the letter falling to the floor. I was getting kicked out of my own house? All because of an overdue payment?

I felt the tears start to build as I sniffles slightly, rubbing my eye with the back of my hand. There was a soft knock on my front door and the doorknob turned. I glanced over at the opening door, my heart sinking even lower.


	8. Chapter 7

_~Anna~_

I hesitated momentarily, staring at the figure who was standing in my doorway. I then bolted for my bedroom, pushing the door behind me and jumping on my bed. I didn't hear my door shut, but I also didn't hear any noises from the main room. I raised my head after a bit, glancing behind me. I yelped and rolled off of my bed, hitting the floor with a soft _thud_. The figure was standing beside the bed, unmoving and silent.

"Anna?" The quiet voice came to my ears as I pushed myself up. I glanced up at the figure, almost falling back down.

"C-Cry?" I squeaked out, extremely confused. I sat up on my knees, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. It came off dry, but my cheeks were still sticky.

"Anna, are you okay?" His voice was concering as he stepped closer, kneeling down in front of me.

"G-Go away." I stuttered, covering my face with my hands.

"Anna, please." Cry knelt down in front of me, moving my hands away from my face. "What is wrong?"

I shook my head, refusing to look at him. His words from the previous night and the letter I received this morning bounced around in my head viciously.

Cry sighed, dropping my wrists and pushing his mask up just above his nose. The frown he wore was now obvious. I cringed away from it, tears threatening to fall.

"Anna, listen. If it was about last night..." Cry trailed off. I still refused to look at him. He hooked his index finger underneath of my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"Was it? When Red said something about you having feelings for someone, was it me?" Cry's voice was filled with concern. "Tell me, Anna."

I stared at the emotionless mask perched on his face, trying my best to not tackle him. I nodded slowly, shifting my eyes downwards.

"Anna..."

"Not only that," I started, jerking myself away from him, "but I got a letter today saying that I'm getting kicked out of my house."

"Oh, Anna!" Cry exclaimed, his shoulders slumping. "I'm so sorry!"

"I have nowhere to stay now." I whispered to him, staring at the floor.

"... You can stay with me." Cry replied, causing me to look up at him. He was suddenly inches away from me and I yelped, falling backwards. He reached out, wrapping his arms around me in instinct. I stared at him, my heart racing.

The mask stared back at me, unchanging, but I saw the twitch of his lips as he moved closer. I had nowhere to go.

"C-Cry!" I exclaimed, squirming in his grasp. He seemed to snap out of his trance and his mouth fell open slightly.

"Anna, I..."


End file.
